Located just 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from downtown San Diego and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) from the Mexican border in the South Bay region of the metropolitan area, the city is at the center of one of the richest economic and culturally diverse zones in the United States. Chula Vista is so named because of its scenic location between the San Diego Bay and coastal mountain foothills.

Founded in the early 19th century, fast population growth has recently been observed in the city. Located in the city is one of America's few year-round United States Olympic Training centers and popular tourist destinations include Aquatica San Diego, Mattress Firm Amphitheatre, the Chula Vista marina, and the Living Coast Discovery Center.[13]

During the Mexican-American War, California was claimed by the United States, regardless of the California independence movement that had briefly swept the state. Though California was now under the jurisdiction of the United States, land grants were allowed to continue in the form of private property.[14]

The 1888 completion of the dam allowed for irrigation of Chula Vista farming lands. Chula Vista eventually became the largest lemon-growing center in the world for a period of time.[14]

20th century

The citizens of Chula Vista voted to incorporate on October 17, 1911. The State approved in November.[14] One of its first city council members was a former Clevelandite Greg Rogers, who was also a leader of the Chula Vista Yacht Club.[18]

In January 1916, Chula Vista was impacted by the Hatfield Flood, which was named after Charles Hatfield, when the Lower Otay Dam collapsed flooding the valley surrounding the Otay River;[19] up to fifty people died in the flood.[20] Later in 1916, the Hercules Powder Company opened a 30-acre bayfront site, now known as Gunpowder point, which produced substances used to make cordite, a gun propellant used extensively by the British Armed Forces during World War I.[12] Although the Great Depression affected Chula Vista significantly, agriculture still provided considerable income for the residents. In 1931, the lemon orchards produced $1 million in revenue and the celery fields contributed $600,000.[14]

The relocation of Rohr Aircraft Corporation to Chula Vista in early 1941, just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, changed Chula Vista. The land never returned to being orchard groves again. The population of post-World War II Chula Vista tripled from 5,000 residents in 1940 to more than 16,000 in 1950.[14] After the war, many of the factory workers and thousands of servicemen stayed in the area resulting in the huge growth in population. The last of the citrus groves and produce fields disappeared as Chula Vista became one of the largest communities in San Diego County.[14] By 1963, Chula Vista became the second largest city in San Diego County.[21] From 1960 to 2013, the South Bay Power Plant, a 700 megawatt four boiler plant, occupied 115 acres (47 ha) of the Chula Vista waterfront.[22]

In 1944, the state of California attempted to seize land in Chula Vista owned by Kajiro Oyama, a legal Japanese resident who was then interned in Utah. Oyama was correctly charged with putting the property in his son Fred's name with the intent to evade the Alien Land Law because Fred was a native-born citizen. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court as Oyama v. California where the court found that Kajiro's equal protection rights had been violated.

Olympic Training Center, Lower Otay Reservoir in the background

In January 1986, Chula Vista annexed the unincorporated community of Montgomery, which had previously rejected annexation in 1979 and 1982. At the time of the annexation the community was virtually surrounded by its larger neighbor.[23] Over the next few decades, Chula Vista continued to expand eastward. Plans called for a variety of housing developments such as Eastlake, Rancho del Rey and Otay Ranch neighborhoods.[12] In 1995, the United States Olympic Committee opened an Olympic Training Center in Eastlake on donated land;[24] it is the USOC's first master-planned facility and is adjacent to Lower Otay Reservoir.[25] In the last decade of the century, a desalinization plant opened to process water from wells along the Sweetwater River;[26] it was expanded less than two decades later,[27] which included a pumping station built in Bonita.[28]

21st century

In 2003, Chula Vista had 200,000 residents and was the second largest city in San Diego County.[31] That year, Chula Vista was the seventh fastest growing city in the nation, growing at a rate of 5.5%, due the communities of Eastlake and Otay Ranch.[32]

Chula Vista is growing at a fast pace,[12] with major developments taking place in the Otay Valley near the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Otay Lake Reservoir. Thousands of new homes have been built in the Otay Ranch, Lomas Verdes, Rancho Del Rey, Eastlake and Otay Mesa Areas.[33] The South Bay Expressway, a toll-road extension of state route 125, opened November 19, 2007, connecting freeways 805 and 905 with State Route 54.

On May 30, 2006 officials from Chula Vista and the San Diego Chargers met to potentially discuss building a new stadium that would serve as the home for the team. Yet, in June 2009 the Chargers removed Chula Vista as a possible location for a new stadium.[34] In 2009, Chula Vista - along with nine other second tier metropolitan area cities such as Hialeah and Southern California's Santa Ana - was ranked as one of the most boring cities in America by Forbes magazine;[35] citing the large population but rare mentions of the city in national media.

In 2013, Forbes called Chula Vista the second fastest growing city in the nation, having recovered from the slow down during the Great Recession, which saw the city lead the nation in having the highest mortgage default rate.[36] In 2014, a survey conducted at the request of the city found that the majority of San Diegans surveyed had a negative perception of the city.[37] By 2015, there were over 31,000 Filipino Americans living in Chula Vista.[38] In 2017, Chula Vista purchased the Olympic Training Center and renamed it to Elite Athlete Training Center; the United States Olympic Committee plans to continue to use the facility and pay rent to the city.[39] That same year, a post office in the Eastlake neighborhood was renamed Jonathan "J.D." De Guzman Post Office Building, in honor of a city resident who died while a San Diego Police Department officer in 2016;[40] having immigrated from the Philippines in 2000,[41] De Guzman was active in his community in Chula Vista, and went on to serve as a police officer for 16 years until his death.[42]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city covers an area of 52.1 square miles (135 km2), 49.6 square miles (128 km2) of it land, and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) or 4.73% of it water.

Ecological preserves

Chula Vista has within its city limits the Sweetwater Marsh unit of the San Diego Bay NWR.[44] It also maintains several city maintained open space areas.[45]

Neighborhoods

West Chula Vista

The original Chula Vista encompasses the area west of Hilltop Drive and north of L Street.[12] The community of Montgomery was annexed by the city, after several failed attempts, in 1986.[23] The community consists of most of the area south of L Street, west of Hilltop Drive and north of San Diego's city limit.[12]

The Census reported that 242,180 people (99.3% of the population) lived in households, 656 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,080 (0.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 75,515 households, out of which 36,064 (47.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 42,153 (55.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 12,562 (16.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 4,693 (6.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 3,720 (4.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 502 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 12,581 households (16.7%) were made up of individuals and 4,997 (6.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21. There were 59,408 families (78.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.60.

The population was spread out with 68,126 people (27.9%) under the age of 18, 24,681 people (10.1%) aged 18 to 24, 70,401 people (28.9%) aged 25 to 44, 56,269 people (23.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 24,439 people (10.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.7 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

There were 79,416 housing units at an average density of 1,524.5 per square mile (588.6/km²), of which 43,855 (58.1%) were owner-occupied, and 31,660 (41.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 143,330 people (58.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 98,850 people (40.5%) lived in rental housing units.

Late 20th century

In 2000, the city's population was 173,556. The racial make up of the city during the 2000 census was 55.1% White, 22.1% Other, 11% Asian, 5.8% of two or more races, 4.6% African American, 0.8% Native American, and 0.6% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 49.6%. Of these individuals, 28.7% were under the age of 18.[49][54]

In 1990, the city's population was 135,163. The racial make up of the city during the 1990 census was 67.7% White, 18.1% Other, 8.2% Asian, 4.5% African American, 0.6% Pacific Islander, and 0.6% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.2%. Of these individuals, 26% were under the age of 18.[50]

In 1980, the city's population was 83,927.[51] The racial make up of the city during the 1980 census was 83.1% White, 7.9% "Race, n.e.c.", 6.1% Asian and Pacific Islander, 2.1% African American, and 0.7% Native American. Persons of "Spanish Origin" made up 46.6% of the population.[55]

Economy

Chula Vista maintains a business atmosphere that encourages growth and development.[56] In the city, the small business sector amounts for the majority of Chula Vista's business populous.[56] This small business community is attributed to the city's growth and serves as a stable base for its economic engine.[56]

Culture

Other points of interest and events include the Chula Vista Nature Center,[61] the J Street Harbor,[62] and the Third Avenue Village.[63] Downtown Chula Vista hosts a number of cultural events, including the famous Lemon Festival, Starlight Parade, and Chula Vista Rose Festival.

Mattress Firm Amphitheatre is a performing arts theatre that was the areas first major concert music facility. OnStage theater stages high quality productions,[59] serving as a large contributor to the cultural arts setting in Chula Vista.

Government

Municipal government

According to the city's most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's various funds had $322.9 million in Revenues, $287.5 million in expenditures, $1,232.7 million in total assets, $258.6 million in total liabilities, and $181.0 million in cash and investments.[66]

Presently the city council is led by Mayor Mary Casillas Salas. It has four other members: John McCann, Patricia Aguilar, Stephen Padilla and Mike Diaz.[5]

As of January 2013[update], out of the city's total population, 114,125 are registered to vote, up from 103,985 in 2009; the three largest registered parties in the city are the Democratic Party with 47,986, Republican Party with 31,633, and Decline to State with 29,692.[72] In a survey conducted by The Bay Area Center for Voting Research in 2004, it found that Chula Vista had a 50.59% conservative vote compared to a 49.41% liberal vote.[73]

The city has been trying since 1986 to get a university located in the city.[76] In 2012, the city acquired a 375-acre (152 ha) parcel of land in the Otay Lakes area intended for the development of a University Park and Research Center, and chose a master developer for the project;[77] who later backed out of the project.[78] State Assemblymember Shirley Weber has proposed that the state open a satellite or extension campus of the California State University system at the site, with the hope that it will grow into a full university.[79]

^"About Chula Vista". City of Chula Vista. 2012. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013. Chula Vista means "beautiful view" and there is more to see and do here than you can imagine!

^"Community"(PDF). 2011 Membership & Resource Guide. Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 13, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2011. Located between the City of San Diego and United States/Mexico International Border, the Chula Vista Elementary School District is the largest K-6 district in the state